Possible Hashimoto's but no symptoms?

[Dannigirl1]

I had an appointment with an endocrinologist today after a recent blood test showed that my thyroid levels are low. He was completely flummoxed by the fact that my blood test results show antibodies but I am not getting any symptoms apart from a swollen thyroid gland (which has now gone back to normal after a few weeks on Lepothyroxine). I literally feel like I am in perfect health. No tiredness or weight gain or any other symptom. What he essentially said was that my lack of other symptoms suggest this is temporary, whereas the antibodies in the blood test suggest it is permanent.

So, can you have antibodies without it being hashimotos? Could it be subclinical or acute thyroiditis instead?

If it is hashimotos, will it get worse or will medication keep it at bay. I have always been fit and healthy so I really don't like the idea of developing crippling symptoms even with medication.

[pennyannie]

Hello Dannigirl and welcome to the forum :

In my experience, our Admins are never flummoxed if they have the correct information to work from :

Do you have any blood tests and ranges to share with forum members ?

We generally like to see a current TSH, T3, T4 and antibodies and also, if you have them the core strength vitamins and minerals, ferritin, folate B12 and vitamin D.

Whatever way round this goes, generally speaking Levothyroxine is for life, and if optimally medicated you shouldn't have any symptoms anyway.

Hashimoto's is an autoimmune disease, so yes, that's for life, but once you know what you are dealing with it doesn't need to be a " life sentence " of crippling symptoms.

The antibodies, once identified, will dictate the course of action necessary and it will be in your best interest to read up and become your own best advocate so you'll be best placed to know what options are available and what you can do for yourself with regards to diet and life style options.

[Dannigirl1 in reply to pennyannie]

Thanks. Just had full blood work taken. Don't have results yet though. Will the doctor mention all the different ranges when he phones with results or will I have to request them specifically?

[pennyannie in reply to Dannigirl1]

You'll probably need to request them.

Do you not have a copy of the bloods this endocrinologist was looking at so we can try and help you tonight and put your mind at rest ?

[Dannigirl1 in reply to pennyannie]

I didn't think to request them. I haven't been in this situation before so I didn't know what questions to ask.

[pennyannie in reply to Dannigirl1]

OK then, no worries, and therewith starts your thyroid journey:

Always request copies of all blood test results and ranges.

Check out Thyroid uk website, the charity who support this amazing forum and start reading up, as it does sink in, and you will soon be confident and feel able to discuss your health issues in such a manner that your doctor and possibly this endocrinologist may well end up learning from you.

[Dannigirl1 in reply to pennyannie]

Great. Thanks for all your advice

[tattybogle]

Thyroid antibodies; TPOab and/ or TGab Show an increased likelyhood of a person eventually becoming overtly hypothyroid , bit don't mean a person definitely will do.

A % of the population do have them and never have a problem.

However you did obviously have a problem as your thyroid enlarged and your blood test showed Presumably a raised TSH and possibly also a low FT4

Did you have raised TPOab (thyroid peroxidase antibodies) or TGab (thyroglobulin antibodies) ?

TPOab are specifically related to thyroid , TGab are present in quite a few things , but i forget what

[Dannigirl1 in reply to tattybogle]

Thanks for commenting. The endocrinologist didn't say what type of antibodies and I've never been in this situation before so I didn't really know what to ask regarding them.

He did say that it probably isn't permanent because there are no other symptoms but it probably is permanent because there are antibodies which is about as clear as mud. It can't be both temporary and permanent. He has ordered full blood work though so hopefully that will clear it up.

[SlowDragon Administrator in reply to Dannigirl1]

Request that he email you copies of test results and to include ranges

[tattybogle in reply to Dannigirl1]

You should ask for the results [and the lab ranges that came with them] for these ;

TSH 0.00 [0 -0] (thyroid stimulating hormone)

FT4 0.00 [0 -0] (free T4)

FT3 0.00 [0 -0] (free T3)

Which antibodies were tested

TPOab 0 [<0 ]

TGab 0 [ <0 ]

The results will be laid out like this , bit with numbers obviously

As for the temporary /permanent question, i'm not sure cos i don't often see anyone on here that had no symptoms. Most likely the truth is the Endo/ GP wont be sure either. so you wont be able to get a definite answer to that one i'm afraid. It's just a case of 'wait and see what happens' . But the fact you didn't feel unwell is bonus, and plenty of hypothyroid people have no trouble at all on Levothyroxine ... forums like this are full of all those who don't do well, but many more are fine, and i would think it's safe to hope you will be with them , since you felt no symptoms even though you had got to the point your thyroid was enlarged and your blood results were out of range.

I don't think the level of symptoms have anything much to do with whether it's 'permanent' or not. Hashimoto's doesn't go away though, but it usually develops extremely slowly.

There are also some temporary forms of hypothyroidism, but i think ? these don't usually have raised TPOab antibodies, so lets see which antibodies you had , and how 'off' you thyroid bloods were, before we get lost in the 'what if's'

[Dannigirl1 in reply to tattybogle]

Yeah I'm getting ahead of myself a bit. Thanks for your advice. I now know what to ask the docs for.

[Roadrunnergreg]

Raised antibodies to me always suggest either a viral or bacterial infection that's at the thyroid, or in rheumatoid arthritis its the joints... could be but not limited to candida, EBV etc. Do you have any of these, if not known might want to check for them, its one of the main causes of autoimmune diseases. As a good friend of mine often says, if your not born with it, you usually don't have to keep it.